Fire Festival
by Chicken Yuki
Summary: It's the Fire Festival once again at Flower Bud Village, and Jamie and Jill are chosen to guard the guiding flame! Emotions build up as unrequited loves are reflected over, and bonds of freindship are strengthened.


"Hey, you two! I'm glad you're both here! I understand that either of you might have certain preferences in how this all might've turned out, but I'm still glad you've made your way out here tonight, in any case."

In Flower Bud Village, during one special Winter night, its prideful Mayor Theodore and two other villagers stood out on the beach by a warm campfire.

One was a feminine-looking rancher with lavender hair and brooding ice blue eyes to go along with a scowl. This character wore a cowboy hat along with a poncho lined up with various shades of violet. At the rancher's side happened to be a bag of chestnuts.

The other was a cheerful, perky young lady with light brown hair fixed in pigtails and expressive, chocolate brown eyes. She wore a casual pink vest over a white t-shirt and red scarf, and light blue jean shorts completing her outfit. At her feet stood a big plastic bag of marshmallows.

"Anyway, since you two drew the shortest straws out of all the villagers last night, understand that it is your duty this year to guard the precious fire that commemorates the poor souls lost at sea. I'm depending on the two of you to protect this flame, so that it will last throughout the night." The Mayor proclaimed before nodding to himself and fleeing from the beach.

The androgynous cowboy glared at the sprinting Mayor as the perky young girl started roasting marshmallows on the fire.

"That lucky little punk is just thankful for the change of tradition his grandfather made decades ago..." Jamie thought while brooding in a corner.

Meanwhile, the aspiring track star himself had a devious grin on his face as he made his way home. "Thank goodness! The old tradition used to have the Mayor and one of his children spend their entire night guarding flame! If it weren't for Grandpa Theodore's decree to insist on the shifting participation of the villagers each year, Maria and I would be loosing lots of valuable sleeping time clinging to some crazy campfire in the cold! Grandpa, you're a genius!" he thought to himself.

**Harvest Moon: Magical Melody**

**Fire Festival**

Back at the campfire, the rancher lazily roasted a chestnut while the energetic lady bobbed her head side to side as she roasted a marshmallow.

"Jamie! Jamie! Are you there? I think your chestnut's starting to blacken!" the young lady called out.

The violet rancher called Jamie twitched as the young lady's voice called out, then spotted the burning chestnut and removed it from the flame immediately. After tossing it into a bowl to cool down, the rancher fixed another chestnut to a roasting stick and sent another one into the roaring fire.

"T-thank you, Jill..." the rancher barely grumbled.

"What was that? Did you say something?" the girl asked curiously.

Jamie grumbled incoherently for a while before facing the marshmallow roaster with an awkward gaze.

"I can handle this simple little task on my own. Why on Earth do I have to work with a nutty little girl like you?" Jamie complained.

The cheerful girl named Jill removed her marshmallow from the fire and faced Jamie with a completely innocent smile. "It's because the Mayor asked us to, silly!" she responded with a giggle.

Jamie's face turned red as the rancher's expression grew even more perplexed. "What kind of logic is that? You wouldn't jump off the Duck Bridge if Mayor Theodore told you to do so... would you?" the rancher retorted.

"N-no, not really. But, this IS a responsibility we were entrusted to, right?" she answered.

Jamie was left speechless at the unexpected maturity of her response.

"Besides, being out here in the middle of a cold winter night with a burning fire to keep us warm... it's... romantic in a way, isn't it?" she uttered in a soft voice as was mesmerized by the lambent flame.

Jamie slowly nodded in agreement as the rancher's face reddened in awe of Jill's gentle expression.

After nibbling on her marshmallow for some time, Jill faced Jamie once more with her usual silly grin.

"Hey, Jamie!"

"..mm?"

"I'm really glad that it's the two of us, here. We rarely get to spend this kind of time together!" she exclaimed.

Jamie nodded in acknowledgement. In their usual encounters, Jill would greet the diligent rancher in the morning, offer him a jar of jam, and then exchange a few words before she leaves for work. Throughout the rest of the day, Jamie remains fairly elusive while Jill is much too busy trying to catch up to her brother's farming status. While the two of them encounter each other and can actually chat during the busy festivals, this is the first time they've been actually alone like this.

The weary rancher looked at the campy young girl dubiously. "What makes you so happy about this arrangement, anyway? Isn't there someone else you would prefer to be with on a night like this, like your brother? I personally think we've seen enough of each other in the mornings..." Jamie said.

"It's because you're a good person!" Jill blatantly cried.

"Wh-what!"

Jamie gulped hard at Jill's last comment.

"Sure!" Jill continued "I mean, I've heard how much you don't really like being around people and stuff, but I see all the animals take a liking to you! I even heard you helped out Carl with his special cake to Ellen, and also about the piece of cake you gave my brother! There was also that time I heard about how you helped Jack in picking herbs to cure Maria's flu one time! But... but most of all, you're trying to help the Harvest Goddess, right? You're so sweet!"

Jamie gulped again. "Don't tell me that loose-lipped city boy told you EVERYTHING!" the rancher thought.

"It was interesting when I found out you're a man, though. I was really shocked at first, after seeing that picture of you in a wedding dress. You looked really pretty in that dress, but I guess that's something I shouldn't have said, huh?" Jill said before laughing sheepishly.

Jamie then made a sour face. "N-no one was EVER supposed to find out about that incident ages ago. A crazy bride-to-be forced me into modeling her dress, noting how "pretty" my face was. I haven't got over it for some time now, but the only person to still have records of that is the Mayor's family. Not even Jack would ever know about that... but that nut of a Mayor rarely ever looks at the history records! That could only mean... Maria? What's she trying to pull by embarrassing me?" he thought.

Jill then sighed as she looked at the fire with disappointment. "I suppose you're right, though. Being here with my brother would be okay, but I think it would be a waste of such a lovely atmosphere. I'm sure Joe would liven things up if he was here instead. But the one I would really want to spend this time with... well, he's... but I don't think he wants to have anything to do with me."

The quiet rancher gazed at the saddened girl with sympathy.

Jill then set her roasting stick aside and curled up by the fire, hugging her legs. "I've tried constantly to get his attention, but he's always avoiding me. I don't know what to think now... I've seen him having a good time with Gwen whenever they're out fishing, but then... I also notice that how he looks at this one lady. There's already one woman he's comfortable with, and I have a feeling there's another he's desperately trying to pursue. I wonder... are my efforts even worth it at this point?"

The young girl's arms slowly made its way above her knees. She then rested her fatigued head atop her arms with strong doubt in her eyes.

"I already feel so much pain at this point. I know if I keep on going, I'll just end up facing some horrible, and yet... if I just tear myself at this point... if I just give up... I'll..."

Jill found herself unable to finish her sentence as her consciousness started fading with teary eyes.

Jamie looked across the flame curiously. He was just about to nudge her awake until he observed his partner's face nodding off. It had an innocent, angelic quality to it, and yet it was fraught with sorrow. The pondering rancher folded his arms while he just sat there and gazed at her.

"I don't believe this girl... she's that maniacal Jack's little sister... the resemblance is uncanny... and yet... I actually don't mind her being around. So much time has passed, and I believed for the longest time I would only have eyes for the Harvest Goddess, and here comes this bumbling girl, bringing me jam every morning as part of her daily routine, and giving me that convincing smile of hers... it's enough to drive me crazy. How is it that this lone girl can succeed where so many others have failed? What makes her different from any other person? She has her own selfish desires like anybody else in this disgusting world, and yet I'm... but that's ridiculous. The Harvest Goddess is still petrified in stone, and here I am, becoming attached to some mere girl. And worst of all... she's tearing herself apart over that fisherman who's in a struggle of his own. It makes little sense. There are so many people I can't stand, and yet I can't bring myself to hate Ray. Why? I know it's his fault that Jill is suffering... that he's completely disregarding her feelings... but then I know... we have far to much in common for me to loathe him. Like me, his loneliness has become his paradise. Like me, he can't bear to sacrifice his sense of peace, but unlike me, he's actually starting to move on..."

His gaze then focused more on Jill's teary eyes. "Is it still possible...that I could take that first step forward with this girl's help?"

After exhaling a long breath, Jamie desperately searched under his poncho for some more items. After thorough searching, Jamie brought out a plastic bag of ground cocoa and a miniature pot with handle. He then poured the powdered cocoa into the pot, added a little bit of salt water from the ocean, and placed a stick under the handle to hold the pot atop the flame to let it melt.

Minutes passed, and Jill blinked herself wide awake. Jamie shoved a bowl in her direction as he continued roasting chestnuts on the fire.

"Here. It's not exactly s'mores, but it's all I could make with what was available" Jamie mentioned.

Jill looked inside to see some round objects covered in a mixture of white and brown gooey substances. She then noticed a nearby skewer stick, stabbed one of the objects in the bowl, and proceeded chewing on this concoction.

"Mmmm... wow, marshmallow covered chestnut! But... I taste chocolate, too. Where'd you get that?" she asked.

Jamie shrugged. "I happened to have some cocoa on me" he simply responded.

Jill once again faced Jamie with her bright smile. "See, you're really nice!" she exclaimed.

She tried another choco-marshmallow chestnut and chuckled to herself. "Well, at the very least, you're a really handy cook!"

Jamie witnessed the joyful Jill merrily partake in her treats, but wasn't in the mood for cheering up himself. He then proceeded roast yet another chestnut as he pondered over the purpose of tonight's festival.

"I wonder... is it actually appropriate to find happiness for this particular occasion?" he uttered aloud.

Jill looked at Jamie in confusion. "Huh?"

"When people die, she's so sad... she always cries for them. Although she is capable of much, in the end, there isn't anything she can do." he explained.

Deep concern suddenly overwhelmed Jill. "Is he referring to the Harvest Goddess?" she thought.

Her bright eyes narrowed as they focused on Jamie's solemn gaze. "Ever since I moved here, I've always seen him alone. He's never had any company over except my brother and myself. The only one he ever talks about so fondly is the Harvest Goddess. Did he leave his family for some reason... or is it that he simply has none to speak of?"

She then averted her eyes from Jamie and the fire. "Come to think of it, Mr. Ray doesn't have any family around. I wonder how it is that people manage to live alone like that..."

"I suppose it's pointless to be depressed because of all the deaths in the ocean, but I still find it odd to be enjoying myself out here" Jamie added.

"Really? I don't think it's all that strange at all!" Jill answered.

Jamie scratched his head. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"I suppose it would be natural for people to be sad about that kind, but I wouldn't want them to be mourning for my sake all the time! Isn't it more important for people to celebrate their own lives than for them to be upset over the dead?" she answered.

A long, eerie silence held out between the two of them as the warm fire flickered between them. Jamie then broke the silence with a single grunt and nodded his head.

"Maybe..."

The two guardians of the flame then faced away from each other and thought to themselves silently.

Again, Jill curled up by the fire. "Yeah, I suppose I can be happy just for being alive, but... if I ended up wasting my time trying to get Ray to really notice me, what am I supposed to do, then?" she thought.

On the other side, Jamie stared solemnly at the stars. "I have a more pressing matter at hand... I have to be the one to reawaken the Harvest Goddess... I at least owe her that much for offering me her blessing. Jill, I'm sorry I cannot help you. If I were to say anything, you may not be able to cope with it all. In the mean time, I wish you the best of luck. Maybe Ray will open himself to you one day, and then he just might see exactly what I can see within you. The question is, would I be ready if that day were to come?"

Hours of silence passed between them. The flame still thrived, and the ocean continued to ebb and flow.

Just as the moon appeared to be at its brightest, Jamie felt a surprising embrace from behind.

"Thank you, Jamie..." Jill softly said with a warm smile.

Unfortunately for the rancher, the sudden display of affection him speechless. All he could do was close his eyes and accept it silently.

Just then, the mayor ran out to their camping spot as if his own pants were set ablaze. After panting for a few minutes, the curious pair glared at Theodore in confusion.

"Good work! Now the souls of the people who past away in the ocean will be at peace! Yay!" Mayor Theodore cried as he jumped around and waved his arms like a goofy cheerleader.

While Jamie found it easier to perform this task, Jill found it extremely hard to keep herself from bursting out laughing.

"It will be dark on your way home, so please be careful" he announced.

Jill then hopped off of Jamie's back, while the tired rancher walked right past Mayor Theodore with a disgusted look on his face. "I would think it's rather obvious at this time of night, even with the flame as bright as ours" he grumbled.

Mayor Theodore laughed nervously as Jill rushed off behind him.

"Say Jamie, my brother told me that he received a note thingy after Mayor Theodore said those words. How come we didn't receive one of those?" Jill asked.

Jamie sighed. "It's because your brother received the only note available for this festival. Once someone received a note for accomplishing a particular task, that's it. Although why I've never received a note for winning the festivals in the past is beyond me" he explained.

"That's okay. I don't exactly know why you and my brother are competing for these notes, but I'm sure you'll be able to get some for yourself, someday..." Jill cheerfully answered.

"... I actually have two already" Jamie blurted out.

"Really? Is that so?" Jill asked curiously.

Jamie let out another big sigh. "Yeah, the Meek Heart and Matchmaker Notes. At the unremarkable rate I'm going, I'll have to work really hard to outdo that backwards cap farmer..." he thought to himself.

With little conscious left to sustain herself, Jill's limp body tripped into Jamie's backside. The reluctant rancher sighed as he hoisted her upon his back, and gave her a piggy-back ride.

And so, Jamie carried a barely-conscious farmer girl to her home by the Spring Farm before making the lone trek to the Jamie Ranch.


End file.
